Champaign-Urbana's Favorite Pretzels

Whether served with beer mustard or cheese, Champaign-Urbana offers pretzels sure to please

Champaign-Urbana loves to talk about its pretzels. From presentation to sheer size to dipping sauce variety, we learned that there are a few more stops we need to add to our list of the best pretzels around.

As with all of our “favorite food” lists, we focus on locally owned restaurants around Champaign-Urbana and beyond. (This list is in alphabetical order.)

Baxters American Grille, Champaign: Baxter’s serves a traditional Bavarian pretzel with house queso. While the pretzel is great, we hear a lot of comments from our readers about the cheese sauce!

Big Grove Tavern, Champaign: Big Grove Tavern offers its house made pretzel with stone-ground mustard and pilsner-cheese fondue. This is a soft-braid pretzel stick.

Central Illinois Bakehouse: Its “authentic German pretzels” are available at area farmers markets as well as in the hot box at Martinelli’s Market on Saturdays.

Pretzels from Central Illinois Bakehouse. Photo provided

The Fringe, Rantoul: Choose between a 16- or 24-ounce Bavarian pretzel served with beer cheese, whether you’re playing mini-golf there or coming from the nearby sports complex. They have a pizza pretzel and jalapeno pretzel, when available, too.

Project 47, Mahomet: Featuring Bavarian pretzels with southwest queso.

Seven Saints, Champaign: Serving salted Bavarian-style pretzels with jalapeño cheese sauce and spicy brown mustard, an order comes with four pretzels (half orders are available).

Sun Singer Restaurant, Champaign: Offering soft pub pretzel sticks with warm, cheesy onion dip. Sun Singer also has a Bavarian pretzel sandwich, served with honey ham, Swiss cheese, honey mustard, and a warm pretzel roll.

Watson’s, Champaign, Urbana, Food Truck: Watson’s pretzels can be found on the food truck at area Oktoberfest events, but getting the chance to order one at the Champaign location downtown or The Yard on Broadway is always a good idea. It is one of the most traditional Bavarian-style pretzels we’ve had in Champaign-Urbana!

Honorable mention – out of town

If you happen to be checking out all the Big Things in Casey, be sure to visit Tetzel Prime, Casey. The shop offers gourmet pretzels and dipping sauces and is cash only.

Pepperoni Pretzel at Tetzel Prime in Casey. Chambanamoms photo

Know of someone we missed? Let us know what you love about their mouth-watering pretzels and email us.

Champaign-Urbana’s Favorite Pretzels

Whether served with beer mustard or cheese, Champaign-Urbana offers pretzels sure to please

Honorable mention – out of town

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